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GEORGE W. STORY, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

Letters ,Patent No. 101,67 7, lated April 5, 1870.

IMPROVE!) CARPET-STRETCHER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making peutv of the lame.

To all whom it 'may convent Be it known that I, GEORGE W. STORY, of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Adjusters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and true description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to the manner of adjusting the carpet to the room Aso that it may be uniformly and tightly drawn over the surface to be covered; and said invention relates, secondly, to the manner of holding or fastening the carpet securely in its place, but so as to be readily disconnected and taken up in case of emergencies.

To enable those herein skilled tomake and use my said invention, I will now more fully describe the same, referring herein to the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 as a sectional elevation; to

Figure 2 as an end section at line a: y; and to Figure 3, as a top plan.

To support the carpet and hold the ends thereof, I use metallic (usually light wrought iron) shafts or bars A. These bars are arranged in suitable lengths on the edges of a room, being supported in bearings B B.

On the shaftsA are proper hooks, a, for simply attaching the edge of a carpet.or matting; then in'turn` ing the shafts A the carpet will be drawn taut over the door.

The shaft A, if of great length, will be jointed, as

shown at a', by preference in a bearing B', since then the use ofa sleeve may be avoided..

The bearings B and B', to allow for adjustment of the carpet, will be arranged with spring, screw, or boltfastenings b the springs b', being wound about the screws b, press down the bearings, so that in raising t-he bearings the tension of the springs b' must be overcome. t

The mechanism for adjusting or drawing up a carpetis as follows:

In a corner bearing, such as B, the adjacent shafts the pawl d with the ratehet-wheel D, so that an operator by the ratchet-lever may turn the shaft-s A and A'.

W'hen the carpet is drawn taut, the Vlever D' is removed, while to retain the shafts A A (and to prevent unwinding) a spring-catch, E, raises to cause its hook e to engage in the teeth of the ratchet-wheel D and hold the same.

The spring-catchE has a lever extension, E', within easy reach of the operator, so that if it is desired to suddenly release the shafts A and A' and the carpet or matting, proper pressure upon said lever E will have the eiect required.

The hook e, by its form, follows np the movement of the shaft A under impulse of the ratchet-lever D'.

By the action of the several parts in the manner thus described, the carpet, matting, or floor-cloth is properly adjustedand then securely held, and the release from the fastening at the same time may be immediate.

At the same time the material of the carpet is not so much torn, and the doors are not battered, and the usual wash-boards are not disiignred, as where carpets are tacked down.-

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim is- 1. The bars A A', arranged with hooks a, joined by wheels c c', and supported in spring bearings B B', substantially as andlfor the purposes set forth.

2. The shafts A, ratchet-wheel D, lever. D', and springs E, E', and e, shbstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony of said invention vI herenutoset my hand in presence of- Gv. W. STORY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. Hamann, ROBERT BURNS. 

